Pleasures Are Emptiness
Ecclesiastes 2I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure.” But this also was emptiness. I said of laughter, “It is foolishness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown. I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and I saw that everything was emptiness and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Wisdom and Folly Both Lead to Death
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. What can the king’s successor do than what has been done long ago. Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. The wise person has eyes in their head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I came to realize that the same event comes to them all. Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is emptiness. For there will be no lasting memory of the wise, the same as the fool, since in the days to come everything will be long forgotten. Indeed, the wise will die just like the fool!
Work Leads to Emptiness
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me. All is emptiness and a chasing after wind. I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. Who knows whether they will be wise or a fool? Yet they will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is emptiness.
Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun. For there is a person whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet they must leave their portion to someone who has not labored for it. This also is emptiness and a great evil. For what does someone get from all their labor and of the striving of their heart through which they labors under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is emptiness. There is nothing better for a person than that they should eat and drink, and consider in their soul good of their labor. I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For to the person who pleases ʜɪᴍ, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner ʜᴇ gives the task of gathering and accumulating, so that ʜᴇ may give to someone who pleases God. This also is emptiness and a chasing after wind.